Beginner Band

Early exposure brings later success

At GISD, we are proud to offer music beginning in Kindergarten. As students transition to older grades, they are exposed to additional opportunities and in 6th grade, students have the option to select Band as an elective. This year, the Gainesville Intermediate Band had approximately 60 students.

While in the Beginner Band, students first learn how to read and play music on an instrument. Students typically come in with little prior experience with an instrument, but by the end of the year they are playing a whole piece on their own. The lessons learned in beginner band set the foundation for future success in the junior high and high school bands.

In the Fall, the class focuses on the fundamentals of playing since most students began the year at entry-level. In December, the students are able to showcase how far they have come since the beginning of school. This year the students performed as a full band at the Christmas Extravaganza, which was the first time in the school’s history that the full band played together after just one semester. This concert is a great opportunity to show friends and family what the students work on in class, and it is exciting for the students to experience their first-ever concert.

Once the basic fundamentals of their music have been learned, the band pushes on musicality and more advanced music. In the spring, all students learn a solo, which is a piece of music played by one musician in front of an audience. Students play a solo in front of a judge and the judge gives them a rating of 1,2, or 3, with 1 being the best. This year, we had a total of 47 students that received a rating of 1. This is a big accomplishment!

Once the Solo Contest has passed, all focus is driven towards the Spring Concert and Spring Festival. The Spring Concert is a showcase to our parents and community on how far students have come since the last concert in December. This is the first time that they perform two pieces as a full band. Then, at the Spring Festival, the band plays two pieces as a full band in front of judges who will rate them 1, 2, or 3, with 1 being the best. After playing for the judges, the band is awarded with a field trip to celebrate the students for working hard all year and pushing to the end.

As a beginner band program, students are offered as many opportunities as possible to showcase their playing and talent. The progress that students are able to make from August to May shows how much work truly goes into their learning every day.